News & Comment

Bruce C. Gibb discusses the biochemistry behind the sensory experiences associated with eating chillies and the lesser-known tingle-inducing ‘sanshools’.

From its scarcity to political intrigue over naming conventions, element 108’s story describes how international cooperation overcame the limits of nuclear science, says Michael Tarselli.

To appreciate women’s contribution to science, Michelle Francl suggests it’s time to stop talking about the most famous one.

Lars Öhrström suspects that as time goes by, we may see more of lutetium — the last of the lanthanoids.

As another semester of organic chemistry comes to a close, Bruce Gibb looks back on what he has learned about learning.

Shawn C. Burdette and Brett F. Thornton explore how germanium developed from a missing element in Mendeleev's periodic table to an enabler for the information age, while retaining a nomenclature oddity.